Combination boat cover and camping tent



E. J. WRIGHT COMBINATIQNIBOAT COVER AND CAMPING TENT Oct. 8,1963

2 Siieets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, iss

FIGS

IN VEN TOR.

ELMER J. WRIGHT BY 7 47M 81 AGENT Oct. 8, 1963 E. J. WRIGHT COMBINATION BOAT COVER AND CAMPING TENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed Aug. 26, 1959 INVENTOR. ELMER J. WRIGHT AGENT a in a...

United States Patent C) This invention relates to sporting goods and more particularly to a convertible canopy cover.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a combination boat cover and camping tent that can be conveniently used for covering the top of a boat or as a roof for a tent for various camping purposes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide I a canopy having self contained tie means for selectively securing it to the top of a boat, or for attaching it to the roof of a tent in connection with side walls and internal partitions.

Still an additional object of the present invention is to provide a combination boat cover and camping tent of the above type which may be provided with additional sides, support posts, and anchor wires for providing a large roomy tent for various camping purposes that will withstand rain, wind, and heavy snow.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a combination boat cover and camping tent bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and eflicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a canopy made in accordmce with the present invention in actual use as a boat cover;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross sectional view of the canopy shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of 1e canopy in actual use as a tent roof; 7

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view, partly in section, of a center post forming a part of the tent shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a partition sheet forming a part of the tent shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is an end View of the assembly shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 8 is an opposite end view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2 thereof, a canopy unit 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a main panel 12 having tubular posts 26 support the posts 26 in a vertical position. A center post assembly 31'? including a base portion 32 having a plunger 34 slidably received within a central casing 35, has a compression spring 38 in abutting relationship a terminal rod 40. Thus, the uppermost pad 41 of the terminal rod 40 may be placed in contact with the central portion of the canopy 12, so that any change in the weather tending to contract or stretch the fabric of the canopy 12 can be sufliciently compensated for by the compression spring 38 to prevent damage to the canopy when so supported as a roof of the tent.

Aside from the canopy 12, a central partition panel 42 may also be provided with longitudinally spaced apart apertures 44 along the marginal edges thereof engageable with suitable suspending and securing means for hanging such partition panel 42 within the tent to serve as a room divider. Tie rings 45 carried by the lowermost edge of the panel 42 may be used to secure the panel in any desired position. The tent may also be provided with end walls 48, some of which may have screened-in apertures St? for ventilation puiposes, as Well as rectangular closure walls 51 and slitted access opening panels 52. Additional tie or anchor cables 55 may be provided for maintaining such side Walls or end walls in the vertical position when the canopy is used for the roof of the tent, the anchor cables being secured to the edge of canopy 12 as by attaching them to cable 16 or to rings 17 secured to the edge of canopy 12.

The tie ropes 55 cooperate with ropes 28 to exert an outward pull on canopy 12 and thereby maintain the same as the roof of a tent, the canopy 12 being additionally supported by center post 30 and edge posts such as 26 which maintain the canopy 12 in an elevated posi-- tion. The side walls 54 of the tent may be provided with screened openings 56 therein.

It will be appreciated that the canopy 12 may be used by itself, together with its connecting parts, as a boat cover, or simply as a lean-to for camping purposes. However, the additional side and end walls, access panels, and the like, may be provided as accessories for more comfortable camping purposes. When not in use, all of the parts may be readily collapsed and folded into small units for convenient storing in boats, and other camping equipment, thus Widening the applicability of the present invention to all outdoor purposes.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall I be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as tunnel portions 14 formed throughout the peripheral edge thereof. The tubular tunnels 14 slidably receive a length of flexible cable 16 therewithin, access to such cable 16 being had through circumferentially spaced apart recesses 13 of the flap portions 22, for securing tie or anchor ropes 20 thereto. The flaps 22 are also provided with female snap fasteners 24 for securing such flaps 22 in tight engagement with the sides of the boat 25 which is to be covered, the sides of the boat 25 being provided with male snap fasteners for engagement with the female fasteners 24-.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, the canopy 12 is shown in actual use as a roof of a camping tent. A plurality of side posts 26 are received within the cutouts 18 for contacting the flexible cable 16 extend ing through the tubular portions 14 of the canopy. Anchor or tie ropes 23 secured to the uppermost ends of the defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A combination boat cover and tent, comprising in combination, a canopy, tie means integral with said canopy, side flaps on said canopy for overlying the sides of a boat, said tie means securing said canopy upon the top of a boat, said canopy comprising a substantially flexible panel of predetermined size and shape overlying the upper surface portions of a boat, said tie means comprising a tubular tunnel portion extending throughout the periphery of said panel and a continuous flexible cable disposed within said tubular tunnel and completely encircling the periphery of said panel, said tie means further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart 1 cutouts defined by said tubular tunnel portion of said panel and exposing portions of said flexible cable for anchoring purposes and anchor cables secured at one end to said flexible cable within said tubular tunnel of said panel at predetermined cutouts in said tubular tunnel and a plurality of sideposts for supporting said panel in an elevated position to serve as the roof of an enclosure, said sideposts each secured toand depending from said flexible cable within said tubular tunnel portion of said Patented 0a. a, 1953 panel maintaining said panel above the lowermost level of said enclosure and a center post supporting a central portion of said panel, said central post being yieldable longitudinally to compensate for changes in Weather conditions to allow for the stretching and contracting of 5 said panel during use.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said center post comprises an elongated member having spring means intermediate its ends yieldably resisting inward movement of the opposite ends of said center post to- 10 ward each other.

References Citesl in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dennis Apr. 4,

Ferguson Feb. 4,

Litsheim Nov. 5,

Sander et a1 Nov. 15,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 28,

Australia Feb. 12, 

1. A COMBINATION BOAT COVER AND TENT, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A CANOPY, TIE MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID CANOPY, SIDE FLAPS ON SAID CANOPY FOR OVERLYING THE SIDES OF A BOAT, SAID TIE MEANS SECURING SAID CANOPY UPON THE TOP OF A BOAT, SAID CANOPY COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLEXIBLE PANEL OF PREDETERMINED SIZE AND SHAPE OVERLYING THE UPPER SURFACE PORTIONS OF A BOAT, SAID TIE MEANS COMPRISING A TUBULAR TUNNEL PORTION EXTENDING THROUGHOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID PANEL AND A CONTINUOUS FLEXIBLE CABLE DISPOSED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR TUNNEL AND COMPLETELY ENCIRCLING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID PANEL, SAID TIE MEANS FURTHER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED APART CUTOUTS DEFINED BY SAID TUBULAR TUNNEL PORTION OF SAID PANEL AND EXPOSING PORTIONS OF SAID FLEXIBLE CABLE FOR ACHORING PURPOSES AND ANCHOR CABLES SECURED AT ONE END TO SAID FLEXIBLE CABLE WITHIN SAID TUBULAR TUNNEL OF SAID PANEL AT PREDETERMINED CUTOUTS IN SAID TUBULAR TUNNEL AND A PLURALITY OF SIDEPOSTS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PANEL IN AN ELEVATED POSITION TO SERVE AS THE ROOF OF AN ENCLOSURE SAID SIDEPOSTS EACH SECURED TO AND DEPENDING FROM SAID FLEXIBLE CABLE WITHIN SAID TUBULAR TUNNEL PORTION OF SAID PANEL MAINTAINING SAID PANEL ABOVE THE LOWERMOST LEVEL OF SAID ENCLOSURE AND A CENTER POST SUPPORTING A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID PANEL, SAID CENTRAL POST BEING YIELDABLE LONGITUDINALLY TO COMPENSATE FOR CHANGES IN WEATHER CONDITIONS TO ALLOW FOR THE STRETCHING AND CONTRACTING OF SAID PANEL DURING USE. 